Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915
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Item “We just keep pushing through”: a mixed-method study on musculoskeletal discomfort and mental well-being among nurses in resource-limited settings(BioMed Central Ltd, 2025-12-01) Patangia B; Srinivasan PM; Lee MCCBackground: Nurses in under-resourced settings frequently report high levels of musculoskeletal (MSK) discomfort, which significantly affects their mental well-being. While workplace strain is well documented, the combined impact of physical burden and institutional neglect remains underexplored in these environments. Aim: The study aims to examine the prevalence of MSK discomfort and its association with psychological well-being among nurses in under-resourced healthcare environments in Northeast India, and to explore the experiential and structural factors contributing to these occupational health risks. Methods: A sequential mixed-methods study design was employed, following an explanatory approach. The study commenced with a survey to gather quantitative data. Quantitative data were collected from 216 nurses using the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (Extended-NMQ) and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, the results of which informed the development of subsequent interview questions. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with 11 nurses to capture experiential and structural factors. This structure enabled deeper contextual understanding and facilitated triangulation across data types. Results: Among the participants, 47.2% reported experiencing lower back pain, followed by discomfort in the knees (27.3%) and upper back (25%). Higher levels of MSK discomfort were significantly associated with employment in the public sector and more than ten years of work experience. A strong negative correlation was observed between MSK discomfort and mental well-being. Thematic analysis revealed key stressors: physical depletion, emotional exhaustion, organizational apathy, and limited healthcare access. In response to these challenges, nurses often relied on self-management due to insufficient institutional support. Triangulated findings underscored how structural deficiencies intensified both physical and psychological strain among nurses. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for evidence-based occupational health interventions to address ergonomic, psychosocial, and institutional challenges, particularly in low-resource healthcare settings, to safeguard the well-being of frontline nursing staff. This study offers novel understanding from a high-need yet under-researched geographic context, namely the northeastern states of India, bridging empirical gaps in MSK health literature through the integration of experiential and structural factors. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.Item Inclusivity and Work Meaningfulness as Mediators Between Leader’s Cultural Intelligence and Work Engagement: A Two-Wave Multilevel Study(SAGE Publications, 2025-07-29) Lee MCC; Gardner DWork engagement, a key driver to job performance, has been highly researched in the literature, yet most studies have looked at it from a job demands-resources perspective. In addition, research has rarely tapped into the social aspect of resources, which are important in work relationships. In this era of globalization, employees come from various backgrounds making the workplace more diverse than ever. From the perspective of social capital theory, the current study hypothesized that leadership can be the driver of social capital, specifically that employees’ perceptions of their leader’s cultural intelligence would be related to a stronger sense of inclusivity among employees, which then would be related to higher levels of perceived work meaningfulness and work engagement. This study used a two-wave multilevel approach where three hundred and seven employees from 71 teams in Malaysian organizations participated. As hypothesized, employees’ collective perceptions of leaders’ cultural intelligence at Time 1 were positively related to employee perceptions of inclusivity, work meaningfulness, and work engagement at Time 2. Perceptions of inclusivity also mediated the relationship between collective perceptions of leaders’ cultural intelligence and work meaningfulness while work meaningfulness mediated the relationship between inclusivity and work engagement. The findings clarify that leaders who are seen as culturally intelligent can provide social capital for employees by increasing inclusivity in the workplace, indirectly making work more meaningful which can result in higher work engagement.Item Trust in Leader as Antecedent to Trust in Team Members, Team Cooperation, and Team Performance: A Multilevel, Longitudinal, Mediational Perspective(SAGE Publications, 2025-09-20) Lee MCC; Mohd Rasdi RTrust in leaders plays a central role in shaping how teams function and perform. While prior research has explored leadership styles and outcomes, the mechanism by which trust in leaders influences team dynamics remains underexplored; particularly from a multilevel, longitudinal perspective. The current study investigated the role of trust in team members as a mediator in the relationship between trust in the leader and team cooperation, and team cooperation as a mediator in the relationship between trust in team members and team performance. Drawing on social contagion theory, this study develops and tests a cascading trust model in which trust in the leader fosters trust among team members, enhances team cooperation, and ultimately improves team performance. Data were collected in two waves over three months from 307 employees across 71 teams in Malaysian private-sector organizations. Using multilevel modelling, the results showed that trust in the leader had a positive relationship with trust in team members, team cooperation, and team performance. Trust in team members also mediated the relationship between trust in the leader and team cooperation, while team cooperation mediated the relationship between trust in team members and team performance. This study extends existing trust and leadership literature by uncovering the affective processes through which trust flows within teams and by highlighting the leader’s role in cultivating a high-trust, high-performing team environment, particularly salient in collectivist, relationship-focused contexts. Practical implications for cultivating high-trust, high-performing teams are discussed.Item The Generality of Psychosocial Safety Climate Theory—A Fundamental Element for Global Worker Well-Being: Evidence From Four Nations(John Wiley and Sons Ltd., 2025-08-01) Loh MY; Lee MCC; Dollard M; Gardner D; Kikunaga K; Tondokoro T; Nakata A; Idris MA; Bentley T; Afsharian A; Tappin D; Forsyth DOccupational health and safety researchers and policymakers often rely on organisational theories and evidence to provide valuable information for effective policy making and understanding. Yet, most traditional and contemporary organisational theories are developed within a single nation, often in high-income countries. Therefore, cross-national validation is required for generalisable worldwide use. The current study focuses on an antecedent to workplace health and safety, that is, the psychosocial safety climate (PSC), and aims to investigate if PSC is an etic (i.e., universally applicable) or emic (i.e., nationally/context specific) theory. Across nations, we investigate the construct meaning of PSC by testing PSC measurement invariance and the invariance of a nomological network of PSC relationships, (1) PSC to co-worker to work engagement (PSC extended Job-Demands Resources (JD-R) motivational pathway), (2) PSC to co-worker support to psychological distress (PSC extended JD-R health erosion pathway), and (3) the moderation of PSC on the co-worker to outcomes relationship. A total of 5854 employees from four nations (Australia = 1198, New Zealand = 2029, Malaysia = 575, Japan = 2052) participated in the study. Multi-group structural equation modelling suggested that there was measurement invariance in a four-factor PSC model across the four samples. Findings from multigroup analyses support both the PSC extended motivational and health erosion pathways across nations, as well as the moderation effect of PSC in the Australian and Japanese samples. Together, the results largely support the etic nature of PSC construct and theory, with a few national nuances.Item Entrepreneurial Resources, Decision-Making Logic and Organisational Change Readiness: Enhancing SME Sustainability in New Zealand(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2025-05-20) Walker K; Lee MCCEntrepreneurs are the backbone of most small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), yet they have received little attention regarding how they prepare for organisational change readiness (OCR), especially in the current uncertain business environment and the disruption of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0). This study sought to understand how entrepreneurs’ decision-making logic (i.e., effectuation and causation) mediates the relationship between the different types of resources (i.e., financial and government resources, social capital) and OCR. A total of 119 participants (91 males), who were entrepreneurs, participated in this cross-sectional study. After controlling for age, gender, and education level, the study’s results found that a positive relationship existed between the two types of resources and OCR, mediated by decision-making logic. A positive relationship was also found between both types of decision-making logic and OCR. These results highlight the significant impact of both entrepreneurs’ social capital and financial and, government resources and decision-making logic on OCR.Item Relationship between the three dimensions of paternalistic leadership, cognitive and affective trust and organizational citizenship behavior: a multilevel mediational pathway(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2025-02-25) Lee MCCPurpose The current study aims to explore the three dimensions of paternalistic leadership (i.e. moral leadership, benevolent leadership and authoritarian leadership) and their dual pathways of positive and negative influences on employees’ organizational citizenship behavior through the two aspects of trust (i.e. cognitive and affective trust). Design/methodology/approach Given that trust is pertinent in any human relationship, especially in Asian countries where bonding plays an important role, the current study investigated the relationship of each leadership style within paternalistic leadership on employees’ cognitive and affective trust in their leaders, employees’ organizational citizenship behavior and the processes involved. The current study employed a cross-sectional multilevel approach with 435 employees from 85 workgroups participating in the study. Findings As hypothesized, benevolent and moral leadership styles (but not the authoritarian leadership style) had a positive effect on employees’ cognitive and affective trust in their leaders and on employees’ organizational citizenship behavior. Cognitive and affective trust also mediated the relationships of benevolent and moral leadership styles with organizational citizenship behavior. Originality/value The study’s findings urge practitioners and human resources personnel to be aware of the dual effects that a paternalistic leader has on employees. To be specific, benevolent and moral leadership styles are conducive to employees’ work outcomes, whereas the authoritarian leadership style has a non-significant role in employees’ work outcomes.Item The Characterisation of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-11-20) Lau MY; Ponnampalavanar S; Chong CW; Dwiyanto J; Lee YQ; Woon JJ; Kong ZX; Jasni AS; Lee MCC; Obaidellah UH; Teh CSJ; Christodoulides MBackground/Objectives: The emergence and dissemination of carbapenem-resistant organisms, particularly Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, pose a significant threat to healthcare systems worldwide. This retrospective study aims to characterise carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) strains in a teaching hospital and to determine the risk factors associated with patients' in-hospital mortality. Methods: A total of 90 CRAB and 63 CRKP were included in this study. Carbapenemase genes and MLST types of CRAB and CRKP were determined using specific primers. Risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality were analysed with collected data. Results: All the CRAB strains consisted of OXA carbapenemase genes, with 98% of the strains co-harbouring blaOXA-23-like and blaOXA-51-like carbapenemase genes. Conversely, blaNDM is the predominant carbapenemase gene in CRKP, followed by blaOXA-48-like carbapenemase genes. ST2 and ST20 are the dominant MLST types in CRAB and CRKP, respectively. In CRAB, multivariate analysis identified age, ethnicity, the presence of a mechanical ventilator, and patients who experienced previous exposure to clindamycin in the last 90 days as associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. In contrast, older age, male, ICU admission, and the presence of an indwelling urinary catheter were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality for patients with CRKP. Conclusions: Both CRAB and CRKP lead to high rates of mortality. The MLST profile showed that the genomic patterns of CRKP were highly diverse, whereas CRAB strains had low genetic diversity. To tackle these challenging pathogens, robust surveillance and an in-depth understanding of molecular epidemiology and genomics studies are needed to tailor infection control strategies and individualise treatment approaches.Item Transformational leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: new mediating roles for trustworthiness and trust in team leaders(Springer Nature, 2024-08-19) Lee MCC; Lin M-H; Srinivasan PM; Carr SCThis study investigates the pivotal role of trust in bridging the effects of transformational leadership on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The study was conducted using a multilevel longitudinal approach with 276 employees in 71 teams from private medium-sized organizations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Transformational leadership was found to be positively related to: (1) three facets of trustworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity); (2) trust in the leader; and (3) OCB. All three facets of trustworthiness mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and trust in leaders. In addition, trust in the leader mediated only the relationship between the benevolence facet of trustworthiness and OCB. As OCB is inherently benevolent, these findings not only are consistent with the principle of compatibility, but they also contribute to theorizing about ‘how’ trust plays an important role in the influence of transformational leadership on employees.Item Comparing empowering, transformational, and transactional leadership on supervisory coaching and job performance: A multilevel perspective.(The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia Lt, 2020-10) Lee MCC; Ding AYLWith a leader being able to possess different types of leadership styles, there is a lack of literature investigating which leadership style best facilitates supervisory coaching behavior. The current study aimed to investigate which leadership style would exhibit supervisory coaching behavior, and if supervisory coaching behavior would mediate the relationship between leadership styles and job performance. The study compared the effects of three leadership styles-transformational, transactional, and empowering leadership-on supervisory coaching behavior, which has been reported to influence job performance. A multilevel approach was adopted in this study using 500 employees from 65 organizations within Malaysia. The study found that only empowering and transactional leadership styles exhibited supervisory coaching behavior, which in turn mediated their relationships with job performance. Overall, the findings suggest the importance of leadership styles that prioritize employee development, as these would lead to improved job performance in employees.Item HRM practices and innovative work behavior within the hotel industry in Pakistan: Harmonious passion as a mediator(Taylor and Francis Group LLC, 2021-01-01) Jan G; Zainal SRM; Lee MCCInnovative work behavior (IWB) forms an essential basis for obtaining competitive advantage and long-term success for organizations. Empirical research on this behavior has received limited attention in hospitality context. This study tests a conceptual model that examines how IWB can be transpired through the different aspects of HRM practices (i.e., service training, servicing empowerment, participation in decision making) via harmonious passion. Two hundred and twenty full-time employees who worked in the four- and five-star hotels in Pakistan participated in the study. The findings reported significant mediating effect of harmonious passion between the three aspects of HRM practices and IWB.
